Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Hitosu
by Shiniki Okuzawa
Summary: One truth always prevails, did Kudou Shinichi really hope that he could delay it forever?


Shiniki: Ohayo! I hope you enjoy what I'm writing today, I certainty had a quite literally _smashing_ time when I wrote this! For a better summary of the plot see the underlined text below or skip it entirely

The MPD have always had suspicions regarding Edogawa Conan, but what would happen if their suspicion ever amounted to something? When they decided to investigate the faux identity, what turns up?

Please do not flame in the reviews, and use constructive criticism! Thank you.

It was a slow day for the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, the same applied to the Mouri Detective Agency. Nothing was happening, there were no clients, no crimes, or anything else of noteworthy importance.

Conan was fast asleep on the couch, a Sherlock Holmes novel rested gently over his face, hiding his features. But, the book was not there to sate Kudou Shinichi's own growing boredom, instead it was a measure of caution. He couldn't make sense of it, though trickery and deceit had landed both _Edogawa Conan_ and his true identity in the same place at the same time, Ran still had suspicions regarding him. Had the person he knew for nearly two decades become that attached to him?

He had arrived home or rather; The agency, his temporary home as he thought of it, a little past midnight. Kogorou had been summoned to yet another crime scene and they had left an inauguration party hours after it was intended to finish. Crime seemed to stalk Shinichi, a simple bus ride turned into stopping a bank robbery, or an evening at a restaurant led to murder. Yet, despite his diminutive problem that did not stop him from solving the mysteries, unfolding their corners piece by piece until the culprit was apprehended. His cover had slowly degraded due to this, though he and fellow apotoxin victim Haibara Ai had taken measures to ensure the secrecy of their identities, the thought always haunted him that eventually nothing would be able to hide the truth.

**Metropolitan Police Headquarters – Later that day...**

Wataru Takagi yawned, It was nearing lunch and not a single report of anything had been reported to homicide. He had sat at his desk for nearly seven hours, making occasional trips to the vending machine or bathroom. Detective Satou's day was a mirror of his own while Megure was in his office fuming over another loss to Shiratori at chess.

Satou got up from her desk and walked over to Takagi "Takagi-kun," she smiled sweetly.

Takagi was taken back by the sudden appearance of Satou "Y-yes ma'am?" he stuttered.

"Want to go somewhere for lunch?" She smiled.

"B-but what if s-something happens? while we are gone?".

"It's been dead all day, and going out to lunch is much better then what I packed…" Satou eyed a plastic bag on her desk

"Well, that explains the smell…" Takagi peered over the top of his cubical "Where did you have in mind?" Takagi pondered, was this a date? Or just one of the minor things that happened in a friendship

"Oh, there is a rather nice new café that opened; I was hoping we could go there…"

"Y-yes, Ma'am" Takagi was always at a loss to Satou, he sometimes wondered if she purposely exploited this fact.

"Well then! Onward Takagi-kun!" Satou walked to the elevator, Takagi followed close behind her.

Satou stuck her hand out for the switch, "Satou-san! Takagi-san!" a voice called out.

Takagi turned around, Shiratori was running towards them, "Shiratori-san? Can we help you?" Takagi sweat dropped.

"Yes, you can, where are you two going?" Shiratori asked inquisitively.

"Uhm, lunch?" Takagi laughed nervously.

"Lunch?" Shiratori twitched, "And what if something comes up?"

"Let them be Shiratori-san" It was Megure "Nothing will come up, and there are more than enough people on staff. Satou-san, Takagi-san do you mind if we join you?"

"No not at all Keibu-san!" Satou smiled, the elevator came up shortly after and they all entered.

The café was pleasant, while the seating was large enough to fit them all, the food was nothing exactly special.

"Is something on your mind Satou-san?" Takagi asked.

"Oh, I was thinking about Mouri-san and Conan-kun" Satou shrugged.

"Conan-kun?" the mention of Conan had brought Megure's attention.

"Doesn't he seem, mature for his age? He seems to know a lot of things, and it seems he secretly tries to help us gather clues and evidence, Its like he is the mastermind behind Mouri-san's work. He finds everything and tells it to Mouri-san."

"Satou-san isn't that a bit much?" Takagi sighed.

"What do you mean?" She glared at him "It's perfectly reasonable! He seems to solve everything that is thrown at him! What about the bomb he defused during the Teitan high school bombing?"

"Satou-san I believe you are onto something there" Shiratori cut in "Conan-kun does seem, extremely talented for his age…too talented…"

"So you think he is a teenager stuck in the body of a child?" Takagi added sardonically.

Megure laughed, "Seems so, but its mad to think such."

Satou shrugged, "Perhaps we could do an investigation into him? Not like we have anything_ better_ to do."

**Mouri Detective Agency**

Korogrou slept at his desk, the awkward posture was normal to those who knew him closely, yet one would find it pecuilar at first glance. The Yoko Okino special had ended an hour ago, and left without his only joy and passion; Beer, and had fallen asleep. Although his dreams were disturbed when Korogrou heard a series of shrill knocks on the agencies door.

"Pah, you choose now to come? I've have been sitting at my desk for an eternity…" Korogrou mumbled as he approached the door, the shadowy outlines gave away the fact that a man and women stood behind the pane of glass.

He opened the door revealing a stern faced Takagi and Satou, "Oh? Officer Takagi, I was expecting someone... else" Kogorou sighed, "Come on in!"

"Ah Mouri-san, that won't be necessary. Could we borrow Conan-kun for a bit?"

"You can keep him for all I care…" Korogrou turned and looked around the office, Conan was lazily asleep on the couch "Oi! Conan!" Korogrou called.

Conan groaned, "Nani, ojii-san?"

"There is someone that wants to see you at the door…"

Thoughts had already raced through Conan's mind, he did not hear the playful banter of Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko thus cancelling them out as an option. Agasa-hakase and Haibara would likely call his cellular. Yet these were a few of the infinite possibilities he considered and discarded. Conan blinked, shrugging off his tired nature and donning his adolescent innocence.

"Oh! Officer Takagi, Satou too!" He chirped. '_Why are they here?_'

Takagi's stern face softened into a cheerful smile, "Hello Conan-kun.", Takagi kneeled down to ruffle the the shrunken detective's hair. "We had a few questions regarding one of the cases that you were involved in with Mouri-san. We would call but, procedure requires things to be done..."

_'Since when has that ever stopped you two?'_ Conan remarked to himself, "Sure!" he smiled back.

"Thank you, Mouri-san! We will return him by dinner!" Satou bowed out, closing the door.

"Like I said, keep him for all I care!" Korogrou yelled as the party departed down the stairwell.

"Satou-san," Conan innocently called, "Where are we going?"

**Metropolitan Police Station, Interrogation Room **

"Eh?" Conan raised his eyebrow at the question asked, a look of utmost horror was slowly creeping onto his features.

"Kudou-kun, this is not a joke." Shiratori flatly stated.

"Shiratori-keibu…you're scaring me, are you alright?" Conan asked in a childish tone.

"Wasn't it Sherlock Holmes himself who stated, _'when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'._" Megure said, "Kudou-kun, we ran your fingerprints. Every persons is unique and never the same, no matter what."

Shiratori glared at Conan, as the grade schooler peered back with a look of understanding.

"Only one truth prevails... Beaten by my own wit!" he chuckled to himself. Yet something about his tone implied that the shrunken teenager had not yet let his guard down. "Your likely wondering how I ended up this way. Agasa-hakase shrunk me with another brilliant invention of his." He lied sarcastically.

"Kudou-kun!" Megure snapped, "When we ran your fingerprints, there was a history record attached. Somebody had ran your fingerprints using superintendent Matsumoto's identity, you likely remember that awhile ago he had been kidnapped. The body we retrieved from Touto tower had led us down several paths, namely a crime syndicate that we believe to be based in Tottori. Furthermore, piecing together pieces we know Kudou-kun, we know that you've come into contact with them several times. Please, do not lie to us."

They had figured this much out already? It amazed Shinichi at the determination that they had put forth, a seemingly innumerable amount of ideas had flooded into his mind but in the end he fell back on his one simple principal, _Only one truth, prevails._

Conan nodded his head forward, the light reflecting off of the lenses of his glasses giving him an alien aura. The voice that came out of him was not in the adorable melancholy tone that the officers had been used to, instead every word spoken hung in the air in a serious voice. "Takagi-san, you remember when we had the high school bombing? As we were stuck on the top of the elevator I told you, there was somebody special that I would give the world to protect?" A tear rolled down his cheek, "It haunted me everyday... I awoke, a specter in the night screaming her name. I hid my identity to protect her, to protect you people."

Shinichi recited what had transpired since that fateful day at Tropical land, the poison, the identity. The giant masquerade that had gone on for several years. Every minute detail dropped and explained by his calculating mind.

Perhaps years or hours had passed, time seemed to stop for Shinichi, he didn't care. He felt lighter than usual, a burden had been unloaded, his worries melted away.

"Kudou-san." Takagi began, "That person you want to protect, tell her."

Shinichi peered at the detective, his figure seemed to tower up at the words, "I know me and Satou haven't been the best example to follow..." Tekagi laughed, "But don't allow that to get in the way of whats right. If you love her, tell her."

Shinichi nodded, he slid off his chair and walked towards the door. He paused though as his hand reached for the handle. "Thank you..." he began, "but I'll need a ride..."

Takagi stepped forward, "I'll-"

"No." Satou cut him off, "Shiratori, drive him home..." She commanded.

Inspector Shiratori ushered the toddler out of the door, departing without a word spoken.

Wataru Takagi gulped and slowly turned around to face his partner, her features exploding with wrath.

"Takagi... you..."


End file.
